Amtrak Wolverine: Kalamazoo to Chicago at 110 MPH

Amtrak's Wolverine is runs between Pontiac, MI and Chicago, IL via Detroit, Dearborn, and Kalamazoo. It is funded by the state of Michigan, together with the Blue Water and the Pere Marquette. It is the only Michigan service to run 3x a day, having a morning, afternoon, and evening run in both directions. This is why we rode it, so we could travel from Michigan to the Windy City and arrive in the evening.
The tracks between Kalamazoo and Porter, IN are owned by Amtrak rather than a freight railroad. Because of this, Amtrak trains can reach speeds of up to 110 miles per hour (176 km/h). Though Horizon cars aren't the greatest, this trip from Kalamazoo to Chicago was great.
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[@packr72]

Eventually everything east of Kalamazoo will be 110mph speed up to Dearborn Michigan. Currently it’s Porter Indiana to Albion that allows for 110 in many spots.

[@commodoresbank]

Can't say enough that the Michigan line is one of the most unique Amtrak lines besides the NEC or Keystone. For 110 MPH, I'm impressed of Amtrak keeping up with the speed and along with their completion of expanding speedy service east of Kalamazoo. Still hyped when they'll finish the rest to Detroit over the coming years.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah it’s a great line! Would be awesome if they raised frequencies on it!

[@Thom-TRA]

Riding it again this weekend. Train 350, so fingers crossed it’s the new Venture cars!

[@dennisforner6090]

I heard of Kalamamazoo as a brand name - now I know it is a place & has a beautiful railway station. I especially like the fact that Amtrak has retained the use of train names rather than just a number or destination - the name Wolverine makes one want to explore this experience. I note that Amtrak intends to replace all the passenger carriages with new Siemens passenger carriages. Wow, I thought it snowed a lot in Winter - seems it also rains a lot in Spring up your way. I also heard that there was a tornado that plunged Michigan into a cold snap - hope you are all okay Thom. Stay safe & thank you for sharing your train experience. As always much appreciated.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah, the tornado was thankfully way up in Gaylord so several hundred miles away from us. A tragedy though, nonetheless. Our weather this year has been terrible. Freezing all through May, then 40°C overnight. What a time to be alive… Kalamazoo is one of my favorite American place names. I only recently discovered the city recently, after my wife wanted to do some shopping there lol. The Wolverine is a great train. The remnant of a NYC-Canada-Detroit-Chicago train. Hopefully Chicago-Toronto will be restored soon, it looks like a serious option the US Government is studying.

[@dennisforner6090]

@@Thom-TRA It will be great if they reopened the passenger service from Chicago to Toronto. Unfortunately, as we know Thom Amtrak owns so few rail tracks. The freight companies are not interested in Amtrak expanding its passenger services within the USA let alone to Canada. However, hopefully, it will eventually happen.

[@nicklittle8780]

Niles and Dowagiac are also very nice stations on the same route.

[@Herowebcomics]

MAN! These trains can MOVE! Also they look cool inside!

[@WillGrimm623]

The MCRR has some fascinating history on this line. Crazy to think it was once the mainline between Chicago and Toronto/New York via southern Ontario on the Canada Southern Railway

[@gethighonlife11]

High speed trains on Amtrak Michigan Services? Interesting! I thought that Amtrak high speed trains only ran on the Northeast Corridor with electrified trains with catenaries and pantographs. # Superliner cars rock

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Thanks for a great ride. The Horizon cars are coming to the end of their lives with Amtrak, and the recent refurbishment with new seats is good. The coming Venture cars, as you have seen, are great !

[@tnelson4593]

Dowagiac Mi is usually busy in the summer months eastbound. Many Chicago residents have summer homes around Sister Lakes,Diamond and Indian Lakes and they take the train to Dowagiac. This is the reason Amtrak keeps serving Dowagiac,Mi. It’s the closest station to these inland lakes that are popular to the Chicago residents who spend their weekends there. Many Chicago residents leave a vehicle at the stations lot during the week. The movie by Alford Hitchcock North by Northwest mentions all these Michigan stops on the overhead PA at the Chicago station. Although back then the passenger service from Chicago to Detroit was owned by New York Central. The City of Michigan City IN,Lawton Mi and Marshall,Mi had their stops eliminated. Lawton,Mi many years ago. Michigan City and Marshall more recent.

[@Thom-TRA]

Very fascinating, thanks for sharing

[@boxsterman77]

So many times have I caught trains from that station.

[@RobertKrebill]

Request: California Zephyr, Chicago to Emeryville

[@Thom-TRA]

Someday

[@androo4519]

Nice video. You strike the right balance between train and city and general information. Useful for people thinking of travelling in the area and interesting for armchair travellers and railfans too. You always seem to highlight the little details I want to know about, everything's well filmed and you're a good presenter with a sense of humour. Good job.

[@Thom-TRA]

Wow, thank you for this high praise! I’m happy they are accessible and interesting!

[@Thom-TRA]

Like seriously, I’m tearing up, this just made my day.

[@awkwardsanchez6231]

Raised in Kalamazoo and miss it tbh!!!

[@Thom-TRA]

Cool! Glad to feature your hometown in a video!

[@kenpalmer1965]

As usual, a nice video! To be quite honest with you, I like travelling by train on rainy, stormy, and even on snowy days! I know this may sound a bit strange, but it just something that I enjoy doing for some reason. I have seen many videos here on youtube of trains in Europe during the winter months that are packed full of riders and tourists that ride the train specifically to view the landscapes and mountains in the snow. I understand that those routes are quite popular in the wintertime. Hopefully I will be able to add that to my bucket list one day.

[@ellenfalls1330]

I ate at the cafe there Feb. 2020. The food selection was nice.

[@kenneycooper6199]

I rode the Capital Limited from Washington DC to Chicago before. Very interesting ride.

[@amfm889]

Union Station could really use high-level platforms!

[@Thom-TRA]

It would be nice, seeing as it sees so much regional and long-distance service

[@dennisyoung4631]

Never been that Far East, but there are at least two stations on the Coast Starlight named “Union Station” - one in Portland, and another in L.A. Hope to take the train again within the next 18 months or so, up to Seattle? Much shorter train ride…

[@aurinator]

Ahead of schedule is absurdly rare from what I understand with them.

[@Thom-TRA]

Not really, there’s a lot of padding in the Kalamazoo-Chicago section. I think most runs are on time, but you do hear the horror stories from time to time.

[@boxsterman77]

Not so much on the northeast corridor

[@MrCateagle]

If memory serves my correctly, Whiting has a major BP (formerly AMOCO) refinery. Once upon a time my father worked there.

[@danielueblacker9118]

I love your bathroom reviews... Amtrak should hire you as an consultant.

[@Thom-TRA]

I am looking for a job! Lol

[@mjchicagoland2314]

The Amtrak I take to Cleveland and Pittsburgh are awesome seats that I could lay down and go to sleep.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah those are Superliner cars, they run on the train to Grand Rapids as well.

[@JoshBowren]

You got a subscribe out of me. I like your videos. Nicely done and entertaining.

[@Thom-TRA]

Appreciate it!

[@justinstrickland5382]

Michigan weather in the wet and snow season looks to be a challenge for any mode of transportation.

[@Thom-TRA]

And humans too. 4 years and I did not thrive in it.

[@Hispandinavian]

The further West you go the worse Amtrak gets, especially on the California Zephyr route. Chicago Union is a great hub for exploring the upper Midwest/Great Lakes area. My flight from Tokyo, Japan is going nonstop to Detroit. Michigan is on my bucket list of states I've never been. So it's a good excuse to ride the train to Chi-Town. I also want to book a couple nights in Chicago, just to take the Hiawatha Route to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

[@LaceyRoseLove]

Love getting to see my hometown Kzoo. Fun fact: the Kalamazoo Mall is the first ever pedestrian mall. Love a lot of the shops!

[@MrCateagle]

Pierre Marquette resurrects a Fallen Flag for that area.

[@CMDRFandragon]

9 months ago, that building under construction in the background has walls and stuff on it now lol.

[@briansivley2001]

For me personally I don't mind the Horizon Cars. For me personally it's not about the look of the car but the experience of riding the train and seeing the small towns and countryside that you wouldn't be able to see if you flew or drove. Though I will have one criticism those seats don't look comfortable. I preferred the old seats because they were extremely comfortable to me. I guess being I have a birth defect in my back the old seats helped keep my back from being in pain. While I understand why people want Amtrak to change them I wish Amtrak would've done it 50 50. Like while I don't remember my first time taking Amtrak I was about 5 or 6 years old I do remember my first time taking Amtrak on my own in 2009 and I do remember loving the seats.

[@jackjohnson2101]

I regularly take the train between Chicago and Kalamazoo. However we've had three trains cancelled by Amtrak in less than three months. Very frustrating.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’ve dealt with some very annoying cancellations this last year too.

[@nmiel5753]

Sirs, where is a long term parking in kalamazoo, thats near amtrak station kalamazoo?thank you.

[@nicklittle8780]

I believe the closest long term parking ramp is near the Radisson hotel between Michigan Ave., Rose St., Water St., and N. Church St. Might be expensive.

[@mariovieira838]

110Mph on the MC line is not bad if One takes into consideration all those grade crossings (over here in Europe, the rule is not having crossings at grade in lines where speeds are higher than 140 or 160 Km/h, but there are some exceptions. At least one 200 Km)h segment in Feance has level crossings). That section between Porter - where the junction swich should allow a "taking siding" speed higher than the present 45Mph - , and Chicago really needs a fixing. Maybe that will get done if One of the ideas of the CREATE plan is executed; a dedicated set of Passenger train lines all the way to the tip of current Amateak's Chicago division (by reuse of former PRR main line right of way. NS uses former NYC track. Both used to run side by side)

[@onkelfabs6408]

Here in Germany we need continuos train supervision and in cab signalling for a traing going faster than 160 km/h or 100 mph. Especially since we calculate with a maximum break distance of 1000m or 1100 yds. If the break distance is longer than 1000m, the train needs in cab signalling as well. That's also the reason why most commuter trains do not go faster than 140 km/h or 160 km/h. Do you have insights into the signal concept of this route?

[@onkelfabs6408]

I might add that a train going faster than 140km/h or about 90 mph needs magnetic breaks which engage on using the emergency brake. Maybe not all Amtrak cars have those. But maybe you don't even need them in the US.

[@user-dw6ms6xn5u]

What app do you use to see how fast. I’m traveling with children and I think They would enjoy that.

[@Thom-TRA]

I usually use the Amtrak train tracker or the Intercity Rail Map online!

[@JFitchMedia]

Why do they even stop at stations that short if nobody is getting on or off? I take Cleveland to Chicago route (Lake Shore Limited) frequently, and three of those stops overnight do the exact same. Haven't seen anybody on or off at Elkhart or Waterloo, Indiana. Always wondered why they didn't just blow right through.

[@nicklittle8780]

I lived in Bryan, OH and regularly took the Lake Shore Limited to/from Chicago. It's a bus-stop shelter type of single platform station in Bryan nowadays. Now, I live near Bangor, Michigan and take Thom's beloved Pere Marquette to/from Chicago. The Superliners are good, but wasted on shorter journeys. Horizons (currently running two Horizons plus one Amfleet café car) are OK, but the ride on the new Venture cars is superlative. It has to be because the seat bottom cushions are hard and unyielding! Still too many teething problems with the Venture cars. One door per side per car means longer station stops and late journeys. Most of all, the Michigan services need to solve the south of the lake problems caused by freight train interference. It's not so bad at the moment due to some great intermodal changes NS has made and a general decline in rail freight traffic.

[@user-en2lc3ou1q]

Hi, How does the South Shore Line train compare to this? Thank you

[@Thom-TRA]

They’re very different trains. The South Shore Line only goes into Indiana, the Wolverine takes you hundreds of miles farther into Michigan. The Wolverine is more comfortable and faster. But the south shore line is cheaper and has more frequent departures.

[@5mnz7fg]

Does a frequency of 3x a day for an US passenger train count as more or less dense?

[@Thom-TRA]

In this part of the country that is very dense. Outside of major metropolitan areas, frequencies are standard once a day on long distance trains.

[@5mnz7fg]

@@Thom-TRA I see. In Germany and other European countries long distance trains on major lines run every our or so during the day. But of course, our long distances aren't that long compared with America. ^_^

[@Thom-TRA]

@@5mnz7fg yeah, I lived in Europe for several years. Dutch “long distance” trains run every 15 minutes. Japan, where I also lived, is even crazier. The Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka runs every five minutes. But you have to understand, Michigan is the birthplace of the automobile. There are powerful anti-train political forces. 3x a day is an amazing achievement for pro-train advocates in this state, due to the opposition.

[@FameyFamous]

In a civilized county, train service between Detroit and Chicago would be fast and frequent. In the USA, a lot of people drive, a few people take Amtrak or a bus, and there are about 19 nonstop flights per day.

[@miaviation-railway]

Yeah those Horizon faucets are awful! Bombardier used the same design on a ton of their bi-level cars such as a ton of the ones that Coaster has and they are a real pain in the ass to use without getting completely soaked. The "logic" behind it is to wash away all the germs off the handle but it does far more harm than good lol. Now on the topic of the Horizon cars, I am quite torn. The Venture cars also have their drawbacks, and it seems like it will be an eye for an eye tradeoff in my opinion. Some things are improved (larger, more logical lavs, ADA approved, center arm rests, larger windows, winged sculpted headrests in the seats, window shades, better placement for power outlets and are super quiet) but still leave a lot to be desired (the legroom is worse than the Horizon, and the seats don't really recline, it is more of a slide and tilt forward. Additionally, the seats are not as plush as these and the lights are even brighter than on these as well). They have been rattled with issues that have delayed their entry into service time and time again. Unfortunately because of these issues, the Blue Water crewmembers I have spoken to about it are not really looking forward to them entering service in Michigan. It is a shame because they are very pretty cars. I just believe that 6 hours in them will ultimately be a slight comfort downgrade even from these Horizon coach seats. After riding on both cars it really seems like a toss up. Superliners still knock it out of the park when it comes to comfort, and as do the Business Class/Café Amfleet I cars found on the Amtrak Midwest routes (which use Superliner seats). They are an excellent alternative to the Horizon and Venture cars but of course can get expensive sometimes. The aforementioned Amfleet I cars should still be operating with the Midwest routes for a year or so as the Venture café cars are not even built yet. Have you ever tried the Blue Water route? You can go between these two cities for (typically) less $ than on the Wolverine trains. I'd definitely recommend trying one of the Amfleet I Biz/Café cars if the opportunity arises as they are really comfortable, quiet, and retro with charm, unlike the Horizon cars. There are only 17/18 seats in that business class cabin so they go quick!

[@Thom-TRA]

I actually took the Amfleet Business class cars on the Downeaster in Maine two weeks ago! I haven’t been on the Blue Water yet. My last remaining Michigan route! Although of course I also still need to do the Pontiac-Kalamazoo part of the Wolverine. I hope the venture cars are introduced soon so I can make a valid comparison between the two. If the comfort is exactly the same, I think I will lean towards Venture, just because modernity and aesthetic are very important to me.

[@miaviation-railway]

Hey there! Sorry for the delayed response-it’s been a busy week. Anyways, I just rode Wolverine 355 (Venture) PNT-DER and then Wolverine 352 (Horizon) DER-PNT just to compare them back to back. I gotta say, although the Venture has more amenities and is more passenger friendly, the goofy old Horizons are slightly more comfortable. It’s hard to beat those old seats, even if they aren’t the luxurious Superliner or Amfleet business class seats! I will say that the headrests and arm rests on the Venture are really nice tho. The real bummer will be losing the Amfleet business class/cafe cars in a couple years. I’ll certainly enjoy those while I can! Anyways, please do enjoy your Venture ride and I look forward to seeing your thoughts on it when you do give it a review! I think they’re only operating 350 & 355 as of end of May 2022…

[@Thom-TRA]

@@miaviation-railway I’m thinking of taking the 355 this week. Glad the seats are doable, even if they’re not perfect. Were the screens working on board?

[@miaviation-railway]

Funny you say that-they worked for the first 5 minutes of the ride and then mysteriously shut off for the remainder of my 1h 10m ride so idk if it was just the car I rode in (4018) or all of them but it was a bummer cuz they looked neat. It was nice having the upcoming stops on display even though it was brief. And yes, definitely take a ride on 355 if you get a chance this week! Do you think you’ll do a duplicate of this ride from Kalamazoo to Chicago?

[@pilotaburch172]

I have ridden the Amtrak wolverine in Michigan many times and the stop Michigan city has always been a stop on the wolverine Amtrak. So I think you got one detail wrong there

[@Thom-TRA]

They closed the station on April 4, 2022. It was in a lot of news articles. So I think _you_ got one detail wrong there.

[@traintrak]

Thanks for the video. The good thing I saw from Amtrak's FY24-29 about the horizons cars is that they will eventually be replaced by the venture coaches, so that should be more modern. Then the existing horizons coaches could then be used for new routes in Amtrak connects us routes.

[@roguefamily7630]

Have u been in des plaines have u been on union pacific northwest line

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes I have, you should watch the video!

[@roguefamily7630]

@@Thom-TRA if ur in des plaines again I would like to meet u

[@utahrailfan1946]

Pretty sure that the take are actually owned by the state of Michigan.

[@Thom-TRA]

Nope. The line from Kalamazoo to Dearborn is owned by the state. The line from Kalamazoo to Porter, IN is 100% owned by Amtrak.

[@favroitetiger2351]

Do you think Amtrak wolverine will ever get electrified.

[@Thom-TRA]

I really wish it would, but I doubt it sadly

[@Thom-TRA]

It would be a good line for it

[@favroitetiger2351]

@@Thom-TRA I think it would support electrified trains by 2040. And increase it to 250 miles per hour. And use the same model train as the new Acela trains.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@favroitetiger2351 The issue is that Norfolk Southern would have to electrify their line from Porter to Chicago as well

[@favroitetiger2351]

@@Thom-TRA Amtrak might buy that part of the track as well.

[@chasemartin4450]

Having recently been on an Amtrak train that averaged 25 mph (Westbound Cardinal), I find 110 mph hard to believe, but I'm glad at least *some* of America's rail infrastructure is at least *slightly* modern.

[@TrinityCourtStudios]

That’s because the Cardinal runs primarily on Norfolk Southern, CSX and Buckingham Branch freight railroad trackage where Amtrak isn’t prioritized and gets put behind slow freight trains, or endures speed restrictions. All trackage that is operated, maintained and dispatched by Amtrak has speeds of 110+ mph.

[@michaelsheedy]

The Kalamazoo and Dearborn stations are the best on the line. The rest mostly suck. And its taken forever to extend 110 mph to most of line. At least they finally have new engines and refurbished cars. efubished

[@Thom-TRA]

The Niles station is beautiful too

[@thefareplayer2254]

Horizon cars are the WORST!